Radio tube socket



Dec. 26, 1950 B. .1. JOHANSON 2,535,578

RADIO TUBE SOCKET Filed Aug. 9, 1945 Bang? J JbZ/anson.

Patented Dec. 26, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RADIO TUBE SOCKET Bengt J. Johanson, Chicago, 111., assignor to Cinch Manufacturing Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 9, 1945, Serial No. 609,732

*2 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to sockets such as those for mounting pronged vacuum tubes and the like, and aims generally to improve existing sockets of the type wherein the tube prongs are locked in the socket. I

One of the primary objects of the invention is the provision of an improved and novel socket having -a locking member which also serves as a grounding wire terminal.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a lock-in type socket or such construction that accurate spacing between the top of the socket and the locking point is assured.

The above and other objects of the invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art from a consideration of the accompanying drawings and annexed specification illustrating and describing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a tube and the socket therefor embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the socket as taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, a portion of the tube and the grounding prong thereof being shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the socket illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the socketlocking sleeve; and I Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the socketlocking spring.

Referring to the drawings, the socket is conveniently formed of a body ID of suitable insulating material to provide a support for a vacuum tube I l or the like of the type having a plurality of prongs for engaging contacts (not shown). Such contacts usually are provided with wiring terminals (2 whereby the tube circuits may be electrically connected to circuits of the apparatus in which it is used.

Many tubes are provided with a central positioning prong l3 which may be of such cross sectional shape as to insure proper contacting engagement of the tube prongs (not shown) and contacts l2, and this positioning prong may also serve as a ground terminal to be connected to a ground circuit.

According to the invention, the socket is of the lock-in type and is provided with a locking device or fastened part to lockingly engage the positioning prong 13.

The socket may be provided with a central bore l5 in which is fitted a sleeve l6 of suitable insulating material as illustrated. The sleeve I6 2 is preferably of greater length than the thickness of the socket from the top to the bottom surface thereof, so as to provide an extension beyond the socket forthe locking device. Instead of the sleeve being separate the extension may be moulded integral with the body of the socket.

The lower portion or extension of the locking sleeve i6 is shaped to provide a support or mounting for a locking spring 20 which conveniently may be of double P-shape as ilhistrated in Fig. 5. This construction of fastener or locking element provides a U-shaped base portion 21 and spaced opposed locking fingers or bars 22 adapted to lockingly engage in a notched or grooved end 23 of the prong Hi. The legs of the P-shaped lockmg device maybe formed as angular extensions 24 of the bars 22 and serve as grounding terminals for connecting with an electric conductor.

The locking spring 28 is supported in the preshaped end of the sleeve l6 which may be substantially C-shaped and formed by stabbing ofi opposite sides of the end of the sleeve 16 and then gapping one of the legs near the end of the sleeve as at 25. This provides a base 26 for supporting the base 2| of the locking spring.

It will be apparent that the spring wire locking device 20 may be pre-assembled with the sleeve I 6 and the two thereafter assembled with the socket body l H as a unit. The portions or strands 22 of the locking device are supported in spaced relation with respect to the base and are laterally expandable in a plane normal to the axis of the sleeve for snap-locking engagement in a groove or seat 23 in the tube prong l3.

The above described construction provides a simple, economical socket for effectively and efficiently looking a pronged tube or the like in place in the socket while insuring an accurate predetermined distance or spacing between the top face of the socket and the locking part.

Although I have illustrated and described preferred forms of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of my invention is best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A socket for pronged vacuum tubes and the like comprising a socket body of insulating material having a prong-receiving bore extending through said body between opposite faces, spaced arms extending outwardly from one face of said body on opposite sides of said bore, a fastener supporting base connected to one of said arms and underlying one end of said bore, said base having a supporting surface spaced from and disposed substantially parallel to the adjacent face of said body, and a fastening device mounted on said base, said fastening device comprising a pair of substantially parallel wire strands connected together by a resilient bight, said resilient bight and portions of the strands adjacent thereto forming a mounting portion in engagement with said supporting surface, continuing portions of said strands being reversely bent to form a prongengaging portion disposed in opposed relation to said mounting portion and in tensioned engagement With said adjacent face of said body, and then angularly bent to form a terminal portion extending angularly from said prong-engaging portion, the strands of said prong-engaging portion being disposed on opposite sides of said arms to assist in maintaining said fastening device in mounted position on said supporting base.

2. A socket for pronged vacuum tubes and the like comprising a socket body of insulating material having a bore extending through said body between opposite faces, a prong-receiving sleeve fitted in said bore, fastener-supporting means at one end of said sleeve comprising a pair of extensions of portions of the walls of said sleeve at opposite sides thereof and an element projecting from the end of one of said. extensions presenting a supporting surface spaced from and substan tially parallel to and underlying the end of aid sleeve, the other of said extensions being shorter than said one extension and having its end spaced from said supporting surface of said projecting element, and a fastening device mounted on said supporting surface, said fastening device comprising a pair of substantially parallel wire strands connected together by a resilient bight,

said resilient bight and portions of the strands adjacent thereto forming a mounting portion in engagement with said supporting surface, continuing portions of said strands being reversely bent to form a prong-engaging portion disposed in opposed relation to said mounting portion and in tensioned engagement with said end of said sleeve, and then angularly bent to form a terminal portion extending angularly from said prong-engaging portion, the strands of said prong-engaging portion having tensioned engagement with the opposite sides of said extensions.

BENGT J. J OHANSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

